1.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
2.
BBC Sport
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BBC Sport is a department of the BBC North division providing national sports coverage for BBC Television, radio and online. Results, analysis and coverage is also added to the BBC Sport Website, the BBC has broadcast sport for several decades under individual programme names and coverage titles. Grandstand was one of the more notable Sport programmes, broadcasting sport since the launch in 1958. This practice continued throughout the two decades. Upon the launch of the BBC News website in 1997, sport was included in the BBCs online presence for the first time, in May 2007, the BBC Trust approved plans for several BBC departments, including BBC Sport, to be moved to a new development in Salford. The new development at MediaCityUK marks a major decentralisation of BBC departments from London, the department moved into Quay House, MediaCityUK gradually in late 2011 and early 2012 with the first Sports bulletins being broadcast from the new BBC Sport Centre on 5 March 2012. The BBC shares the rights to the FIFA World Cup with ITV, a near equal split of group stage and knockout stage games are shown, including a semi final and the final is shown on both networks. The BBC shows highlights of the Premier League on Match of the Day which has been hosted by Gary Lineker since 1999, Match of the Day 2 and Match of the Day 2 Extra, are presented by Mark Chapman. Dan Walker hosts Football Focus every Saturday lunchtime before Jason Mohammad presents Final Score every Saturday afternoon, the BBC also broadcasts live coverage of the FA Cup and will do so until 2018. BBC Sport currently holds the rights to broadcast the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the Wimbledon contract has been held by the BBC since 1937 and the current contract lasts until 2017 making it the longest such contract in the world. The BBC produce over 900 hours of footage that is distributed to broadcasters in 159 different countries, BBC Wimbledon coverage is presented by former British number one and 1976 French Open Champion Sue Barker. Matches are broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Two, the Red Button, highlights are also shown on the long-running Today at Wimbledon, presented by Clare Balding, who replaced John Inverdale in 2015. The same year, the programme was renamed Wimbledon 2day, with a new lighthearted magazine format, but after one year. Regular tournament weather updates are provided by Carol Kirkwood, the BBC also broadcasts two traditional Grass warm up events in the fortnight before the Wimbledon Championships. First is the AEGON Championships from Queens Club, which takes two weeks before Wimbledon. Coverage is led by Sue Barker with commentary by Andrew Castle, Andrew Cotter, the following week is the WTA AEGON International event from Eastbourne. In 2015, coverage was introduced by John Inverdale and Lee McKenzie with commentary from Andrew Cotter, Sam Smith, both events are primarily shown on BBC Two. The BBC also shares broadcasting coverage of the ATP World Tour Finals with Sky Sports, showing one afternoon match per day including one semi-final and the final which are usually shown on BBC Two
3.
St Helens R.F.C.
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St Helens Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby league club in St Helens, Merseyside currently competing in the Super League, the top tier of competition for rugby league in Europe. Formed in 1873, St Helens are one of the 22 original members of the Northern Rugby Football Union and have been champions on 13 occasions. St Helens are also the third most successful side in the Challenge Cup with 12 wins in 21 Final appearances, St Helens are founding members of the Super League and are one of only four teams to have appeared in every season since its creation in 1996. Since 1961 the clubs colours have been white, with a red V on the jersey. St Helens play their games at the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens, having moved from their previous home, Knowsley Road. St Helens are one of the oldest members of the Rugby Football League, founded as St Helens Football Club on 19 November 1873 at the Fleece Hotel by William Douglas Herman, they played their first ever match on 31 January 1874 against Liverpool Royal Infirmary. They became known as St Helens Rangers up until the 1880s, the club moved from the City Ground in 1890 where they had shared with St Helens Recs when neither were members of the Northern Rugby Football Union. They defeated Manchester Rangers in the first match played at Knowsley Road, in 1895 the club were one of 22 clubs that resigned from the Rugby Football Union and established the Northern Union. The first match of the new code was an 8—3 win at home to Rochdale Hornets before 3,000 spectators and they played in a vertically striped blue and white jersey—a stark contrast to the well known broad red band which would become the kit for the club later. The club reverted to this kit for one season during the rugby league season in 1995. The Challenge Cup was launched in 1897 and it was St Helens who contested its first final with Batley, at Headingley, the Gallant Youths of Batley emerged victorious 10—3, with Dave Red Traynor scoring the lone St Helens try. Between 1897 and 1901, St Helens were not successful, even considered a mid—table side. They finished second to bottom in the 1900—01 Lancashire League season, in the 1901—02 season, however, they did finish third in the Lancashire league. In 1902–03, the combined Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues saw St Helens enter for the first time, St Helens were placed in Division 1 but finished next to bottom and suffered relegation. Promotion was gained at the 1st attempt, only for another year to see them finish once again in a relegation position. However the two Divisions became one League to save the club from a 2nd relegation, on 14 June 1913, St Helens Recs joined the Northern Union after defecting from rugby union and association football. The Recs were based individually at the City Road ground, after previously sharing with St Helens, before their move to Knowsley Road, the Recs played their first game on 6 September 1913. St Helens now had two rugby league teams
4.
Catalans Dragons
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The Catalans Dragons are a professional rugby league club in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France. They play in the Super League, and are the team in the competition from outside Northern England. The Dragons play home games at Stade Gilbert Brutus, the club was formed in 2000 by a merger of XIII Catalan and AS Saint Estève into Union Treiziste Catalane. They won the 2005 French Rugby League Championship and the Lord Derby Cup in 2004 and 2005, in 2006, they were granted a Super League licence, taking the name Catalans Dragons. UTC continues to compete in the French Championships Elite One Championship as a club for the Dragons. The club was founded in 2000 after the merger of two teams in Perpignan, XIII Catalan and AS Saint Estève, the merged team took the name Union Treiziste Catalane, often abbreviated to UTC. XIII Catalan were founded in 1935 and thus were founding members of the French Championship, during their run, they won 11 French Championships and 11 Lord Derby Cups. AS Saint Estève were founded in 1965 and they won six championships and four Lord Derby Cups. There were two clubs in the twelve-team competition in Pyrénées-Orientales, Pia XIII and Saint-Cyprien. In 2002 Saint-Cyprien joined the merged UTC side, UTC proved successful, winning the 2005 French Championship and the 2004 and 2005 Lord Derby Cups. In 2005, UTC applied to join the Super League, the highest tier of rugby league in Europe. They were selected ahead of Toulouse Olympique and Villeneuve Leopards to enter the league for the 2006 season, the franchise was named Catalans Dragons, UTC remained in the French Championship to serve as a reserve club. The club set a target for 75% of the players be qualified to play for France, the Catalans are not the first French side to play in the Super League, but the first, Paris Saint-Germain, lasted only two seasons. Both rugby codes have their stronghold in the southwest of France, players on loan from French league clubs had to play for their own clubs as well, train in the south and take the long journey to Paris or England for matches. To ensure that the Catalans had the best French players available to them, the league also would not relegate them from the Super League for three years, even if they finished last. Many believe that the Catalans will be joined by other French clubs in the Super League, the Catalans won their first ever Super League match 38–30 against Wigan on 11 February 2006, at Stade Aimé Giral. The club encountered a steep learning curve in their first season in the Super League. Many of less experienced French players ran out of steam towards the end of a gruelling, a particular loss was that of key playmaker and Captain Stacey Jones, who missed much of the season with a broken arm
5.
Castleford Tigers
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Castleford Tigers R. L. F. C. are an English rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, that plays in Super League. Formed in 1926, the club were members of the Super League in 1996 and have won the Challenge Cup four times. Their most recent major trophy was the 1994 Regal Trophy, Castleford have a rivalry with neighbours Featherstone Rovers, Wakefield Trinity and Leeds. The club have played at Wheldon Road in Castleford, since 1927 and their home colours are black and orange. Castleford RFC joined the Northern Rugby Football Union for the 1896–97 season, its second, not much is known about the original Castleford club, except that they have no connection with the present Castleford Tigers RLFC. Castleford joined the league for the 1926–27 season, many official records state that they were founded at this time but they had played successfully in the lower Yorkshire County Cup for several years before this date. They actually joined the League code around 1920 and played in early years at the Sandy Desert ground. The club went professional in 1926 and moved to their current home ground on Wheldon Road in 1926. The club soon started to make a mark on northern rugby, winning their first major trophy when they topped the Yorkshire League in 1932, in 1938, they made it to the Championship finals, but failed to take the cup. The Second World War meant the league was suspended soon after, Castleford finished fourth in the national league in the 1962/63 season. Castleford picked up where left off when they were again beaten in the Championship finals in 1969. However, this seemed to spur the team on, and 1969 and 1970 saw Castleford win the Challenge Cup for two consecutive years, with clubs legends Alan Hardisty and Keith Hepworth leading the team. John Sheridan was appointed coach in 1973 for a spell. Castlefords finished a respectable ninth in a table but Sheridan stepped down following criticism from fans. During the late 1970s Castleford edged up the league, and in 1986 they made it to the Premiership final and they finished consistently high over the next few years, and finished in the top four clubs in the Championship for four years during 1990–1995. Darryl van der Velde took Castleford to the Challenge Cup final Wembley where they were defeated by Wigan in 1992, a year later, Darryl van der Velde left to become chief executive of the South Queensland Crushers, he was succeeded by his assistant John Joyner. Through the Darryl van der Velde and early Joyner years Castleford were lauded for there style and were labelled Classy Cas and this enjoyable playing style was to come to fruition most spectacularly in 1994, when Castleford were dominating the league. As well as defeating legendary Wigan team to take the Regal Trophy 33–2 and that season John Joyner, was named Coach-of-the-Year by the RFL
6.
Widnes Vikings
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Widnes Vikings R. L. F. C. is an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire which currently plays in the Super League, the top tier of European rugby league. The club plays its matches at the Select Security Stadium. Founded as Widnes Football Club, they are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. The club enjoyed a period of success in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, in 1989, after winning their third Rugby League Championship, Widnes became the first official World Club Champions by beating the Australian champions Canberra Raiders 30-18 at Old Trafford. Their traditional nickname is The Chemics after the industry in Widnes. They have a local rivalry with Warrington Wolves. The Farnworth & Appleton Cricket Club was formed in 1871 and four years later the members decided to embrace the burgeoning football code, the first known game for the new Farnworth and Appleton FC was in Widnes in January 1876 played under rugby rules against Northwich Victoria. A few weeks later a match was played at Drill Field. These are the two known fixtures in that truncated first season. By May 1876 the club had changed its name to Widnes FC, by the late 1870s the club was being referred to as The Chemicals—subsequently shortened to The Chemics. The first ground was on Albert Road behind what is now the Premier Wetherspoons pub, from around 1878–84 the club were based at the junction of Millfield/Peelhouse Lane, apart from season 1880–81 when they played on the Widnes Cricket Club ground at Lowerhouse Lane. From 1884–95 they rented a field at Lowerhouse Lane before moving to their third separate site on that road in October 1895, the first ever game at what later became Naughton Park was against Liversedge on Saturday 12 October 1895. In 1895, Widnes were founder members of the Northern Union which broke away from the Rugby Football Union and their first game was an away fixture against Runcorn which they lost 15–4. During the early years, the club often had to sell players to balance the books, the strength of junior rugby league in the area meant the club had a steady stream of new players to offset any losses. In 1902, the Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division and he scored an extraordinary try to win the game, dribbling the ball from inside his own half. Thirteen Widnes players were killed during the conflict, the clubs first ever success came when they won the Lancashire League trophy in the 1919–20 season. However, the 1920s saw the club almost go to the wall, local rivals Warrington donated their share of the traditional Easter and Christmas derby matches to keep Widnes afloat in 1927–28. In 1930, Widnes with 12 local-born players defied the odds to beat St. Helens 10–3 to bring home the Challenge Cup, the Kingsway housing scheme threatened the loss of Widnes ground
7.
Paul Wellens
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Paul Simon Wellens is a retired English professional rugby league footballer. A Great Britain and England national representative fullback, he played his career with St. Helens, with whom he won several Super League championships. Wellens also became only the player to have won the Lance Todd Trophy, Harry Sunderland Trophy. Born in St. Helens, Wellens was educated by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Wellens joined the St. Helens ranks and made his Super League debut in the 1999 season. Success quickly followed and Wellens soon secured his place in perhaps St Helens strongest era, Wellens became renowned for his all round game, excelling particularly at taking catches. An England call up followed and with full back Kris Radlinski already established at international level, Wellens displayed his versatility with spells on the Wing and at Centre. A call up for Great Britain ensued, and he made a handful of appearances before being left out by then coach David Waite. Wellens played for St. Helens from the bench in their 1999 Super League Grand Final victory over Bradford Bulls. Having won the 1999 Championship, St Helens contested in the 2000 World Club Challenge against National Rugby League Premiers the Melbourne Storm, with Wellens playing at hooker in the loss. Wellens played for St Helens at fullback in their 2000 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan, with a point to prove, Wellens became one of Super Leagues most notable performers and made the number 1 jersey his own at international level. His attitude and aptitude to the game earned him a reputation as a model professional, Wellens was selected in the Great Britain team to compete in the end of season 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against Australia he played at fullback in the Lions 44-4 loss, Wellens played for St Helens at fullback in their 2006 Challenge Cup Final victory against Huddersfield. He was also awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match against Hull F. C. in 2006s Super League XI Grand Final, as 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers Brisbane Broncos in the 2007 World Club Challenge. Wellens played at fullback in the Saints 18-14 victory, in 2007 Wellens continued his form, but added another dimension to his game by becoming one of the leagues top try scorers. This was highlighted in the Millennium Magic weekend victory against rivals Wigan and he was named in the end of season Super League Dream Team for the third season running. He also became joint winner of the Lance Todd Trophy award in the 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup Final against the Catalans Dragons at Wembley Stadium, in the 2008 Challenge Cup Final, Wellens retained the Lance Todd Trophy award. Wellens was selected for the England squad to compete in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup in Australia, in Group As first match against Papua New Guinea he played at fullback in Englands victory. In January 2009, Wellens played in his own testimonial match against Wakefield Trinity, in 2011, Wellens was named joint captain of St Helens alongside James Graham
8.
Leon Pryce
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Leon Pryce is an English professional rugby league footballer of Jamaican descent. A Great Britain and England international representative backline player, he played for St. Helens with whom he had Challenge Cup. Pryce comes from a family of rugby players, he is the older brother of Bradford player Karl Pryce, his father. His cousin Steve Pryce has coached in Jamaica and he is also the cousin of Featherstone Rovers player Waine Pryce, at age 16, Pryce captained the England schools side. Pryce came through the ranks at Bradford, after the club signed him from amateur side Queensbury in Bradford. Pryce played for Bradford on the wing in the 1999 Super League Grand Final which was lost to St. Helens and he made his full debut for England against France in 1999, and has also represented his home county of Yorkshire. Pryce played for Bradford on the wing in their 2001 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan, as Super League VI champions, Bradford played against 2001 NRL Premiers, the Newcastle Knights in the 2002 World Club Challenge. Pryce was selected for the bench in Bradfords victory. Later that year Pryce played for Bradford from the bench in their 2002 Super League Grand Final loss against St. Helens. In 2003 Pryce escaped a sentence for unlawful wounding, after assaulting Brian Carney. He received 120 hours community service and he played for Bradford from the substitutes bench in their 2003 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan. Having won Super League VIII, Bradford played against 2003 NRL Premiers, Pryce played at stand-off half back and scored a try in Bradfords 22–4 victory. He played for Bradford on the wing and scored a try in their 2005 Super League Grand Final victory against Leeds, after Bradford did not renew his contract in 2005, in 2006 Pryce joined St. Helens. One of the key issues in the decision was that he would start at stand off, Pryce won his first trophy with St Helens in August 2006, defeating Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup Final at Twickenham. St Helens reached the 2006 Super League Grand final to be contested against Hull F. C. and Pryce played at half back. As 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers Brisbane Broncos in the 2007 World Club Challenge, Pryce played at stand-off half back in the Saints 18–14 victory. He went on to win the Challenge Cup again in 2007 when Saints beat Catalans Dragons 30–8 at Wembley Stadium and he was a joint winner of the Lance Todd Trophy along with Paul Wellens. In July 2007, Pryce was accused of squeezing Sam Burgesss testicles and he was later found guilty of the incident and banned for three matches
9.
2006 Challenge Cup
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The 2006 Challenge Cup was the Xth tournament played for rugby leagues Challenge Cup. It features teams from across Europe including England, Scotland, Wales, France, the competition started in January 2006 with the preliminary round where the Gloucestershire Warriors from the Rugby League Conference surprised an established Pennine League team in Illingworth. The final was scheduled to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, in the final St. Helens proved too strong for the Huddersfield Giants, winning by 42 points to 12. It was Huddersfields first final since 1953, when they also faced St Helens, amateurs Thornhill Trojans provided the first surprise result by beating national 2 team Workington Town. Late season snow caused a number of postponements on the Sunday, round 4 sees the introduction of the Super League teams. Some matches are now televised live by the BBC, in this round the matches chosen for transmission were at Bradford and Wakefield. No new teams enter at this stage, in this round the matches chosen for transmission were at St Helens and Widnes. In this round the matches chosen for transmission were at Hull KR, Hull KR pulled off a major surprise when they beat Superleague team Warrington Wolves. Unlike earlier rounds, matches from now on will be played on neutral grounds, Huddersfield have the chance to win the Cup for the first time in 1953 when they beat this years final opponents St Helens. The final was scheduled to be played at Wembley Stadium though because of the construction delay was alternatively held at Twickenham Stadium, London. The tournament was screened in the United Kingdom by the BBC, Rugby Football League Powergen Challenge Cup 2006 on BBC. co. uk 2006 Challenge Cup Final at rlphotos. com
10.
Challenge Cup
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The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940. It involves amateur, semi-professional and professional clubs, the final of the Challenge Cup at Wembley Stadium, London, is one of the most prestigious matches in world rugby league and is broadcast around the world. Abide with Me, sung before the game, has become a rugby league anthem, the current holders of the Challenge Cup are Hull F. C. who defeated Warrington 12–10 on 27 August 2016 at Wembley Stadium, the very first time they have won at Wembley. Wigan are the most successful club in the history of the competition, the clubs that formed the Northern Union had long been playing in local knock-out cup competitions under the auspices of the Rugby Football Union. However, the rugby union authorities refused to sanction a nationwide tournament, after the schism of 1895, the northern clubs were free to go-ahead, and they instigated the Northern Rugby Football Union Challenge Cup. In 1896 Fattorinis of Bradford were commissioned to manufacture the Challenge Cup at a cost of just £60, Fattorinis also supplied three-guineas winners medals then valued at thirty shillings. The first competition was held during the 1896–97 season, and 56 clubs entered to compete for the trophy, the first final was held at Headingley in Leeds, on 24 April 1897. Batley defeated St. Helens 10–3 in front of a crowd of 13,492 and it is interesting to note that the St Helens side did not play in a standardised team jersey. The competition was interrupted by the Great War, although it was held in 1915. It was then suspended until the end of hostilities, the first final held at Wembley was in 1929 when Wigan beat Dewsbury 13–2 in front of a crowd of 41,500. The Challenge Cup finals, which place in the game’s Northern heartland, got big crowds as the game raised money for prisoners of war. In 1946, the Lance Todd Trophy was introduced and awarded to the man of the match, the first winner was Billy Stott of Wakefield Trinity the first winner of the trophy on the losing team was Frank Whitcombe of Bradford Northern in 1948. In itself, it is a trophy presented only at the Challenge Cup Final. The winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers Association present at the game and the trophy was presented at a dinner at the Willows. 1954 saw the Challenge Cup final drawn and the set the record for a rugby league match attendance. The match was on 5 May and 102,569 was the attendance at Odsal Stadium. Wigan are well known for their successes in the Challenge Cup competition, until the 1993–94 season there were very few amateur clubs included in the cup, typically two. For part of the 1980s, and the 1992–93 season the cup was solely for professional clubs, in 1997, a Challenge Cup Plate took place for teams knocked out in the early rounds of the competition
11.
Rugby league
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Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field. One of the two codes of football, it originated in England in 1895 as a split from the Rugby Football Union over the issue of payments to players. Its rules gradually changed with the aim of producing a faster, in rugby league, points are scored by carrying the ball and touching it to the ground beyond the opposing teams goal line, this is called a try, and is the primary method of scoring. The opposing team attempts to stop the side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals, after each try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion for further points. Kicks at goal may also be awarded for penalties, and field goals can be attempted at any time. Rugby league is a sport in Northern England, the states of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, New Zealand. The European Super League and Australasian National Rugby League are the club competitions. Rugby league is played internationally, predominantly by European, Australasian and Pacific Island countries, the first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the current holders are Australia. The first of these, the Northern Rugby Football Union, was established in 1895 as a faction of Englands Rugby Football Union. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves rugby football leagues, in 1922, the Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as rugby league football. In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union, within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby revolution. In 1897, the line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced, in 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after every tackle with the play the ball. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney, There, on 8 August 1907 the New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Batemans Hotel in George Street. Rugby league then went on to rugby union as the primary football code in New South Wales. On 5 May 1954 over 100,000 spectators watched the 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, England, also in 1954 the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on the tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover,1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played
12.
Super League
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Super League is the top-level professional rugby league club competition in Europe. The league has twelve teams, eleven from England and one from France, canadian and Welsh clubs that also compete in the Rugby Football League can also qualify. Commonally known in the UK as the Super League it is referred to internationally as the European Super League, the current champions are Wigan Warriors. Super League began in 1996, replacing the RFL Championship and switching from a winter to a summer season, each team plays 23 games between February and July,11 home games,11 away games and a Magic Weekend game at a neutral venue. After 23 games, teams enter a Super 8 stage, the top eight play each other once more, the top four then enter the play-off series leading to the Grand Final which determines the champions. The bottom four teams go on to play the top four Championship teams in The Qualifiers to determine who will play in Super League the following season, Leeds Rhinos are the most successful club in the Super League era, having won 7 titles. However, Wigan Warriors are the most successful overall, having won 21 British Championships. The Super League champions play the National Rugby League champions from Australasia in the World Club Challenge at the start of the season, murdoch also approached the British clubs to form Super League. A large sum of money aided the decision, and the competition got under way in 1996, part of the deal saw rugby league switch from a winter to a summer season. The 12 founding teams of Super League were, Bradford Bulls Castleford Tigers Halifax Leeds Rhinos London Broncos Oldham Roughyeds Paris Saint-Germain Sheffield Eagles St. C, however this proved so unpopular that only existing clubs were selected for the competition. London Broncos, who had come fourth in the Second Division, were fast-tracked in on commercial grounds, a new team, Paris Saint-Germain, was created to give a French dimension. Between 1998 and 2000 there was no relegation from Super League, after two years Paris were dropped from the competition. In 2006, French side Catalans Dragons from Perpignan joined the league, Super League licences were announced in May 2005 by the RFL as the new determinant of the Super League competitions participants from 2009 in place of promotion and relegation. The licences were awarded after consideration of more factors than just the performance of a club. After 2007 automatic promotion and relegation was suspended for Super League with new teams to be admitted on a basis with the term of the licence to start in 2009. The RFL stated that applying to compete in Super League would be assessed by criteria in four areas with the final evaluations and decisions being taken by the RFL board of directors. Points attained by each application are translated into licence grades A, B or C. First licensing period In June 2008, the RFL confirmed that Super League would be expanded from 12 teams to 14 in 2009, the teams announced were the 12 existing Super League teams along with National League 1 teams, Celtic Crusaders and Salford
13.
Wembley Stadium
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Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London, England, which opened in 2007, on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002–2003. The stadium hosts football matches including home matches of the England national football team. The stadium will be the home of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur while White Hart Lane is being demolished. Wembley Stadium is owned by the body of English football. The FA headquarters are based in the stadium, with 90,000 seats, it is the largest football stadium in England, the largest stadium in the UK and the second-largest stadium in Europe. Designed by Populous and Foster and Partners, it includes a retractable roof. The stadium was built by Australian firm Multiplex at a cost of £798 million, a UEFA category four stadium, Wembley hosted the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League Finals, and will host both the semi-finals and final of UEFA Euro 2020. The stadium hosted the Gold medal matches at the 2012 Olympic Games football tournament, the stadium also hosts rugby leagues Challenge Cup final, the NFL International Series and music concerts. The design of the services was carried out by Mott MacDonald. It is one of the most expensive ever built at a cost of £798 million. The all-seater stadium is a design with a capacity of 90,000. It can also be adapted as a stadium by erecting a temporary platform over the lowest tier of seating. The stadiums signature feature is a circular section lattice arch of 7 m internal diameter with a 315 m span, erected some 22° off true and it supports all the weight of the north roof and 60% of the weight of the retractable roof on the southern side. The archway is the worlds longest unsupported roof structure, a platform system has been designed to convert the stadium for athletics use, but its use would decrease the stadiums capacity to approximately 60,000. No athletics events have taken place at the stadium, and none are scheduled, the conversion for athletics use was a condition of part of the lottery funding the stadium received, but to convert it would take weeks of work and cost millions of pounds. Demolition officially began on 30 September 2002, with the Twin Towers being dismantled in December 2002, delays to the construction project started as far back as 2003. In December 2003, the constructors of the arch, subcontractors Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company of Darlington, Cleveland Bridge withdrew from the project and replaced by Dutch firm Hollandia with all the attendant problems of starting over. In October 2005, Sports Minister Richard Caborn announced, They say the Cup Final will be there, by November 2005, WNSL were still hopeful of a handover date of 31 March, in time for the cup final on 13 May
14.
National Conference League
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The National Conference League is the top British amateur rugby league competition in the Rugby Football League pyramid, and as such is the leading amateur rugby league competition in England. Since 2012, the National Conference operates over a season in line with the professional game. The original NCL concept was one team per town, the league added a second division in 1989, and expanded to three divisions along with a rebrand to the current name of National Conference League in 1993. The National Conference League consists of four divisions, teams can be promoted and relegated through all four divisions, and teams can also be relegated from Division Three into the regional leagues. The NCL was first sponsored at the time as the Rugby League Conference by the Cooperative Group which lasted for 14 years. Conference League South Cumbria Mens League Rugby League Conference Leagues Official site BARLA Official Website NCL Founder Member Millom RLFC NCL Member Brighouse Rangers RLFC
15.
Rugby League Conference
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The Rugby League Conference, was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The Southern Conference League was founded as a 10-team competition in 1997, the league steadily expanded over the first few seasons right up to the fringes of the heartlands, before expanding into Wales for the first time in 2001 with the addition of Cardiff Demons. The league expanded into the North East that same season, in 2003 National League Three was founded including some of the stronger Rugby League Conference clubs and some BARLA clubs. This same season saw massive expansion of the Rugby League Conference including an entire Welsh division, the league also pushed its borders further including more teams from the less rugby league playing areas of the counties considered the heartlands and went as far south west as Somerset. The league expanded further in 2004 by allowing entry to heartland clubs, for the 2005 season the competition was split into two tiers, with Premier divisions being created for above the existing regional divisions. The next major changes were in 2007 when National League Three, the Rugby League Conference celebrated passing the 100 club barrier in 2010. 2011 was the last season before the league was split up into multiple leagues, a selection is made for England Lionhearts who represent England in the Skanska Amateur Four Nations competition against national amateur sides from Wales, Scotland and Ireland. There were many changes in format of the Rugby League Conference as it expanded over time, between 2005 and 2011, it was competed for by the RLC Premier divisions. From 2012 onwards, it has been contested by the non-heartlands successor leagues
16.
Pennine League
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The Pennine Amateur Rugby League, or Pennine League is a rugby league competition for amateur open-age clubs that runs from September to April. The clubs are drawn from West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association. Teams from the Pennine League can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria, following the formation of British Amateur Rugby League Association in 1973, local District Leagues got together and pooled their resources. The Pennine league was formed by a merger of Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Oldham, for the 2011–2012 season, there will be 106 teams within the Pennine League structure, organised into nine divisions. The number of teams has increased by 24 over the past four years in part due to the demise of the CMS Yorkshire League. The current league structure is as follows, Notes, Siddal, Shaw Cross, Eastmoor Dragons and Castleford Panthers enter their first team in the National Conference League
17.
CMS Yorkshire league
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The CMS Yorkshire League was a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire. The league was run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association, teams from the Yorkshire league could apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum criteria. Following the formation of British Amateur Rugby League Association in 1973, local District Leagues got together, the Yorkshire league was formed by a merger of Castleford, Heavy Woollen, Leeds, Wakefield and York districts. There was also a West Yorkshire Sunday league formed by Castleford, Doncaster, Heavy Woollen and this league became the Yorkshire Sunday League in 1994-95 before going defunct after 1995-96. In 2012 the CMS Yorkshire league folded and all remaining teams were accepted by the Pennine League
18.
British Armed Forces
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They also promote Britains wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts, and provide humanitarian aid. Repeatedly emerging victorious from conflicts has allowed Britain to establish itself as one of the leading military. The Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the armed forces by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, as required by the Bill of Rights 1689. The armed forces are managed by the Defence Council of the Ministry of Defence, with the Acts of Union 1707, the armed forces of England and Scotland were merged into the armed forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Britain feared that Russian expansionism in the region would eventually threaten the Empire in India and this ultimately led to British involvement in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire. The beginning of the twentieth century served to reduce tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire, partly due to the emergence of a unified German Empire. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Central Powers, the end of the German Empire, the Treaty of Versailles, once again tensions accumulated in European relations, and following Germanys invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Second World War began. The conflict was the most widespread in British history, with British Empire and Commonwealth troops fighting in campaigns from Europe and North Africa, to the Middle East, approximately 390,000 British Empire and Commonwealth troops lost their lives. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Axis powers and the establishment of the United Nations, reflecting Britains new role in the world and the escalation of the Cold War, the country became a founding member of the NATO military alliance in 1949. By the mid-1970s, the forces had reconfigured to focus on the responsibilities allocated to them by NATO. While NATO obligations took increased prominence, Britain nonetheless found itself engaged in a number of low-intensity conflicts, however the Dhofar Rebellion and The Troubles emerged as the primary operational concerns of the armed forces. Perhaps the most important conflict during the Cold War, at least in the context of British defence policy, was the Falklands War. Since the end of the Cold War, an international role for the armed forces has been pursued, with re-structuring to deliver a greater focus on expeditionary warfare. In addition to the campaign, the British Army has trained and supplied allies on the ground. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March 2016 show that 7,185 British Armed Forces personnel have lost their lives in medal earning theatres since the end of the Second World War. As Sovereign and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is Head of the Armed Forces, the Queen, however, remains the ultimate authority of the military, with officers and personnel swearing allegiance to the monarch. It has been claimed that this includes the power to prevent unconstitutional use of the armed forces, responsibility for the management of the forces is delegated to a number of committees, the Defence Council, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Management Board and three single-service boards. The Defence Council, composed of representatives of the services
19.
Millom
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Millom is a town and civil parish on the north shore of the estuary of the River Duddon around 7 miles north of Barrow-in-Furness in southwest Cumbria, England. Millom was constructed as a new town, beginning in 1866, built around ironworks, the town grew to a size of over 10,000 people by the 1960s, but has struggled since the works were closed in 1968. Culturally, Millom is notable as the birthplace of poet Norman Nicholson, the name is Cumbrian dialect for At the mills. The town is both by rail and an A class road. Historically in Cumberland, the parish had a population of 7,829 in 2011 and is divided into four wards, Holborn Hill, Newtown North, Newtown South and Haverigg. Millom is mentioned in the Domesday Book as one of the forming the Manor of Hougun which was held by Tostig Godwinson. Millom Castle is a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument which by 1739 was in dilapidated condition, in 1251 a market charter was granted by King Henry III of England to John de Huddleston, Lord of Millom. A charter for an Easter fair at Holy Trinity Church was also granted at the same time, Millom is the most southerly town in the historic county of Cumberland. The Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway opened a station here in 1850 known as Holborn Hill Halt and it was taken over by the Furness Railway in 1866. A map of 1862 shows that all that existed here was a hamlet by the name of Holborn Hill on the northwest side of the railway line. It had a station, inn and a tile and brick works. By 1899 a small town had grown up here, with terraced streets on either side of the railway, in the intervening years, the Hodbarrow iron mines began extracting haematite from deposits between the village of Holborn Hill and the seashore at Hodbarrow. The first shafts were sunk in the 1850s, by 1881 there were seven pits operated by the Hodbarrow Mining Company, Millom & Askam Iron Company built Millom Ironworks and the first furnaces were completed in 1866. The opening of the iron works lead to the building of Millom newtown, the Hodbarrow Outer Barrier was completed in 1905 to protect the mines from the sea. It took five years to construct at a cost of almost £600,000, the Hodbarrow Mines and Millom Ironworks were closed in 1968. The towns population of 10,997 in 1967 fell to 7,101 by the 1971 census, in 1877 the expanding town needed more water and Whicham Beck was dammed at Baystone Bank to form Baystone Bank Reservoir. The reservoir remained in use until about 1996 and it was drained in 2011, the dam removed and the valley returned to its original form. This work was carried out by water network company United Utilities, during the Second World War an airfield, RAF Millom, was developed on flat coastal land at Haverigg
20.
South London Storm
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South London Storm is a rugby league club who play and train at Archbishop Lanfranc School in the London Borough of Croydon, they currently compete in the London and South East Merit League. Founded in 1997, Storm have been voted Rugby League Conference Club of the Year three times, in 2002,2005 and 2006. In February 2015 South London Storm merged with their youth club Croydon Hurricanes under the Hurricanes banner, however they continue to field a Masters team as South London Storm. Up to and including 2 July 2011, the South London area has a strong rugby league tradition, and many of London’s most successful amateur clubs have come from this part of the capital. For nearly three decades clubs such as Streatham Celtic, Peckham Pumas and South London Warriors dominated the London League, the mid-1990s heralded the demise of these once dominant clubs leaving the league without a club south of the Thames. Storms original colours were red and black, Saints were immediately accepted into the London League, and in their debut season they finished third in the Second Division behind Kingston and St Albans Centurions. That 1997/98 season culminated in an appearance in the Gordon Anderton Memorial Trophy Final against Reading Raiders at the New River Stadium. The 24–28 was a blow for a team that were considered to have enjoyed the better of the game. A second successive appearance in the Gordon Anderton Memorial Trophy Final again ended in defeat and it was in February 1999 that the club launched its junior section, initially at U11 only. The bulk of the came from the neighbouring Whitehorse Manor School where Saints scrum-half Lee Mason-Ellis was a teacher. They made their competitive debut two months later against Kingston Warriors, at the time the other junior club in the capital. For the seniors, with the prospect of winter rugby league looking increasingly forlorn, South’s thoughts turned to the new summer competition, the name of the club was changed to South London Storm as there were two other teams known as the Saints in the Conference. Three months later the club was accepted into the Southern Division of the expanding competition, for the clubs switch to summer in 2000 the colours were changed to maroon. It was a baptism of fire for Storm in the RLC. The season opener at home to Oxford Cavaliers was covered by the Independent newspaper, despite suffering a number of maulings, enthusiasm never waned and the club did much to raise the profile of the sport in this corner of the capital. Amazingly, Storm’s season ended with an appearance in the London League Final against St Albans Centurions, but once again Storm were left frustrated as the Hertfordshire side emerged victorious from a gripping encounter. The season was notable for scrum-half Terry Readers individual achievement of successfully kicking 29 successive conversions, New Zealander Anthony Lipscombe took up the coaching reins, and brought about a steady improvement to the team’s performances on the park. Storm’s pre-season preparation got off to a start with a surprise success in the prestigious St Albans 9s Festival
21.
Blackbrook A.R.L.F.C.
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Blackbrook Amateur and Junior Rugby League Football Club are an amateur rugby league club based at Blackbrook Sports and Recreational Club in Boardmans Lane, Blackbrook, St. Helens, Merseyside. The first team plays in the National Conference League 1st Division, whilst the section of the club. The club form the basis of the careers of many St Helens R. F. C, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors and in recent years especially, Salford City Reds players, thanks to their highly successful reputation at all ages through to Open Age rugby. The club was founded circa—1940, and played in the North West Counties League and that was, however, until 1975, when a group of parents got together to form an exclusive youth and junior section of the club. In 1975, a group of parents got together with the idea of forming a section of the club that was open to children, the main idea was to provide something for children to do once school had finished, via the medium of sport, specifically, rugby league. Initially, the age groups were mixed, but gradually, the club has seen 11 age groups form, from ages 6–18. Success has come to the club since the formation of the Royals, with age groups enjoying success through the regional leagues. There are now around 200 youngsters playing at the club, however, perhaps a greater pride taken by the club is the number of youths who go on to play professionally. Notable examples of players who turned professional with St Helens via the club include Man of Steel Award winners Paul Wellens, James Roby and James Graham, also, many of the names in St Helens Academy sides are Blackbrook juniors. Perhaps the prime example of a player who signed for Warrington from the club is Brian Case, additionally, the club prides itself on allowing children to play the game under its registered coaches regardless of ability or disability, race and background. The junior side of the club that was formed in 1975 become separate from the side of the club. The 1st team recently had a run in the National Conference League, the Open Age team won consecutive Lancashire County Cups in 2006 and 2007, but were, in 2009, relegated to Division One of the North West Counties pyramid. Promotion was gained at the first attempt however, and the club began 2011 in the Premier Division, as such, the club successfully applied to play in the NCL Third Division in 2013, as part of a nine-team expansion of the top layer of the amateur pyramid
22.
Royal Navy
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The Royal Navy is the United Kingdoms naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the medieval period. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century, from the middle decades of the 17th century and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century it was the worlds most powerful navy until surpassed by the United States Navy during the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing the British Empire as the world power during the 19th. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, following World War I, the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size, although at the onset of the Second World War it was still the worlds largest. By the end of the war, however, the United States Navy had emerged as the worlds largest, during the Cold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap. The Royal Navy is part of Her Majestys Naval Service, which includes the Royal Marines. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord, the Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The strength of the fleet of the Kingdom of England was an important element in the power in the 10th century. English naval power declined as a result of the Norman conquest. Medieval fleets, in England as elsewhere, were almost entirely composed of merchant ships enlisted into service in time of war. Englands naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow, early in the war French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed the French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340. Major fighting was confined to French soil and Englands naval capabilities sufficed to transport armies and supplies safely to their continental destinations. Such raids halted finally only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V. Henry VII deserves a large share of credit in the establishment of a standing navy and he embarked on a program of building ships larger than heretofore. He also invested in dockyards, and commissioned the oldest surviving dry dock in 1495 at Portsmouth, a standing Navy Royal, with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII. Under Elizabeth I England became involved in a war with Spain, the new regimes introduction of Navigation Acts, providing that all merchant shipping to and from England or her colonies should be carried out by English ships, led to war with the Dutch Republic. In the early stages of this First Anglo-Dutch War, the superiority of the large, heavily armed English ships was offset by superior Dutch tactical organisation and the fighting was inconclusive
23.
Waterhead, Greater Manchester
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Waterhead, is an area of Oldham, and an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, an area in the Pennines, the ward of Waterhead has population of 12,876. Waterhead once formed a parish in Prestwich-cum-Oldham, in the Salfordshire hundred of Lancashire. Waterhead also formed a significant part of the Oldham Above Town registration district, Waterhead was the site of considerable industry and commerce, including coal mining and cotton spinning. Following a building associated with the Industrial Revolution, Waterhead became a densely populated industrial district dominated by cotton mills. In 2005, Waterhead was described as dominated by early 20th century mills. Cairo Mill was used by the Ferranti company for many years, Waterhead is next to parts of Greenacres, Salem, Moorside and Lees, and Austerlands and Scouthead from the west side of Saddleworth. The main A62 road from Oldham to Huddersfield passes through the locality, Waterhead is the terminus for First Greater Manchesters 81, 81A and 82 services to Manchester via Oldham. The area is served by Firsts 350 service between Oldham and Ashton, Firsts 410 and 411 east Oldham circular services and Checkmates 418 service between Austerlands and Chadderton, the Rev. Charles E. Shaw was a botanist and also a Church of England clergyman. After serving in other parishes he became vicar of Waterhead in 1957. A song about him called The Parson o Waterhead was written about him by Harvey Kershaw of Rochdale, leeds captain Kevin Sinfield played his amateur rugby for Waterhead ARLFC
24.
Bradford Dudley Hill
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Bradford Dudley Hill Rugby League Club is an English rugby league team based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Originally formed after the First World War, the club was re-established in 1948, established just after the First World War, Dudley Hill originally played on the old Bierley estate. They were led by rugby league player Stanley Brogden who, after his career as a stand-off with Leeds, Yorkshire and Great Britain, wanted to put something back into the grassroots of rugby league. The club was disbanded prior to the Second World War, and was reformed in 1948, due to Les Brady, who was running the successful Bierley under 18 team at the time, Vincent Heslop and Danny Cullerton. Heslop advertised in the Telegraph & Argus for players and, together with players progressing from the Bierley under 18 team, funds were raised by various means, including a football buster and Bradford Northern forecast. The first match played was at Queensbury, which Dudley Hill lost by over 50 points to nil, the first win of the season was at Prince Smith and Steels, four points to eight. One of the Dudley Hill Players broke his arm and Heslop, who had the available transport. As there was no insurance available, a collection was taken every week for injured players, at the end of the season, Dudley Hill finished just above Prince Smith and Steels, who were bottom of the league. Various changing rooms were used during this period, but eventually the Imperial Hotel on Tong Street was used, eventually, a boiler and bath were installed, and washing facilities improved. Even so, players would use the cottage baths at the entrance to Knowles Lane Recreation Ground. For away matches, the players usually met outside sports shops in the centre of Bradford, home matches were played on various grounds, Knowles Recreation Ground, Knowles Lane and Odsal Rec. Mick Oldfield became the first Dudley Hill player to play for Yorkshire in the period, Heslop was the first to progress to Bradford Northern. The formation of the British Amateur Rugby League Association in 1973 was to be the catalyst for Dudley Hill to move forward, in that season the club finished bottom of the old Bradford League. As a result, when the leagues were established, Dudley Hill were placed in the new Pennine League 3rd Division. In successive years, the club progressed to the first division, even with improved results and a stronger team, it was not until 1979 that Dudley Hill won their first trophy as winners of the Bradford League seven-a-side competition. The clubs ambition was realised in 1986 when they one of the ten inaugural teams in the National League. In December 1976 16-year-old Neil Hunt died after sustaining a neck in a one-on-one tackle during a match. On 1 September 1979 the club moved to the new Neil Hunt Memorial Ground, in December 2001, in 1990 Dudley Hill won the National League title, and in 1991 were beaten in the BARLA National Cup final in Salford
25.
British Army
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2017 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,500 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies and establish itself as one of the leading military. In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II, Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland, the order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, after William and Marys accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Marys father, James II. Spain, in the two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to Englands early transatlantic ambitions. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Great Britain was the naval power. As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought the Kingdoms of Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years War, the British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in campaigns across Europe. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and at its peak, in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A Coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies under the Duke of Wellington, the English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, the English Army stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution, the British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster in the 1798 rebellion. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Armys volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, Great Britains dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, in the 20th century, most notably Germany
26.
Queens
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Queens is the easternmost and largest in area of the five boroughs of New York City. Coterminous with Queens County since 1899, the borough of Queens is the second-largest in population, with a census-estimated 2,339,150 residents in 2015, approximately 48% of them foreign-born. Queens County also is the second-most populous county in the U. S. state of New York, behind the borough of Brooklyn. Queens is the fourth-most densely populated county among New York Citys boroughs, if each of New York Citys boroughs were an independent city, Queens also would be the nations fourth most populous city, after Los Angeles, Chicago, and Brooklyn. Queens is the most ethnically diverse area in the world. Queens was established in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties of New York and it was named after the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It became a borough of New York City in 1898, and from 1683 until 1899, Queens has the most diversified economy of the five boroughs of New York City It is home to JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. These airports are among the busiest in the world, causing the airspace above Queens to be the most congested in the country, attractions in Queens include Flushing Meadows Park, Citi Field, the US Open tennis tournament, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, and Aqueduct Racetrack. European colonization brought Dutch and English settlers, as a part of the New Netherland colony, First settlements occurred in 1635 followed by early colonizations at Maspeth in 1642, and Vlissingen in 1643. Other early settlements included Newtown and Jamaica, however, these towns were mostly inhabited by English settlers from New England via eastern Long Island subject to Dutch law. After the capture of the colony by the English and its renaming as New York in 1664, the Flushing Remonstrance signed by colonists in 1657 is considered a precursor to the United States Constitutions provision on freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights. The signers protested the Dutch colonial authorities persecution of Quakers in what is today the borough of Queens, originally, Queens County included the adjacent area now comprising Nassau County. It was a county of New York State, one of twelve created on November 1,1683. The county was named after Catherine of Braganza, since she was queen of England at the time, the county was founded alongside Kings County, and Richmond County. On October 7,1691, all counties in the Colony of New York were redefined, Queens gained North Brother Island, South Brother Island, and Huletts Island. On December 3,1768, Queens gained other islands in Long Island Sound that were not already assigned to a county, Queens played a minor role in the American Revolution, as compared to Brooklyn, where the Battle of Long Island was largely fought. Queens, like the rest of Long Island, remained under British occupation after the Battle of Long Island in 1776 and was occupied throughout most of the rest of the Revolutionary War. Under the Quartering Act, British soldiers used, as barracks, even though many local people were against unannounced quartering, sentiment throughout the county remained in favor of the British crown
27.
Heworth, York
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Heworth is part of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England, about 1 mile north-east of the centre. It is sometimes referred to as Heworth Village, the name Heworth is Anglo-Saxon and means a high enclosure. Heworth has seen lots of suburban development, particularly in the outlying area of Heworth Without. Heworth splits into two wards for the purposes of local elections—Heworth and Heworth Without, Heworth Holme is a popular open space near Heworth village. The population of the Heworth Ward at the 2011 Census was 13,725, a number of bus routes serve the settlement. Very little is known about the history of the Heworth area. The village is of Roman origin and two Roman cremation cemeteries have been found in the area, Heworth Green, the road from York city centre to the village, is on the site of a Roman road. During the early Medieval period, contemporary burials took place in an area to the Roman ones. However, evidence for settlement in Heworth during this period of still remains minimal. The village appears as Heworde in the Domesday Book, and as Hewud in 1219, on 24 August 1453, a skirmish took place and was the first meeting of the two families involved in the Percy-Neville feud, the feud which eventually helped provoke the Wars of the Roses. Historians have described an attack on the Neville familys wedding party by Lord Egremont, the Neville family was returning to Sheriff Hutton castle following a wedding between Sir Thomas Neville and Maud Stanhope. Stanhope was the heiress and niece of Ralph de Cromwell, Egremont decided to ambush the Neville familys returning wedding party at Heworth Moor, along with 1,000 retainers from York. The Neville family were said to have given an account of themselves. During the summer of 1642 both the Parliamentary party and King Charles I negotiated with each other while preparing for war and this was at a great meeting of the freeholders and farmers of Yorkshire convened by the king on Heworth Moor on 3 June near York. Charles evaded receiving the petition, pressing his horse forward, but Thomas Fairfax followed him, the lands called Monk Ward Stray consist of 131 acres and 38 perches of land, situate near York, and in the township of Heworth. A. Prest and others were then seised in fee, construction of the Heworth Green Villas on Heworth Road began about 1817. Until the mid-19th century, the Lord of the Manor was the Reverend Robert William Bilton Hornby, the Ordnance Survey map of 1849, shows that Heworth was effectively a square of three parallel streets sandwiched between the then Scarborough Road and East Parade. On the outskirts of the village near Monk Stray was Elmfield College, a Primitive Methodist foundation which existed from 1864 to 1932, when it merged with Ashville College in Harrogate
28.
Drighlington
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Drighlington /ˈdrɪɡlɪŋtən/ is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan district, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the village lies 5 miles south west of Leeds and 4 miles south east of Bradford, the name of the village is often shortened to Drig. The population of the parish as of the 2011 census was 5,528. The earliest mention of Drighlington is to be found in the Domesday Book where it is described as Dreslintone, the Roman road from York to Chester ran through the village and its mark may be seen in the more or less straight run from Birkenshaw to Drighlington traffic lights. In 1576 Queen Elizabeth I granted Letters of Patent to one James Brooke allowing him to hold a market every second Thursday and these fairs took place at the White Hart public house. The village is also the site of the Battle of Adwalton Moor fought on 30 June 1643 in the First English Civil War between the armies of King Charles I and the Parliamentarians. The Royalist army under the Earl of Newcastle defeated the Parliamentarians under the command of Lord Ferdinando Fairfax, there are four commemorative stones with plaques depicting the battle at strategic points around the common and there is an information board on the wall of the community hall. James Margetson, a native of Drighlington, built and endowed the Drighlington Free Grammar School and it was replaced in 1875 by the Drighlington Board School. St Pauls Church was built in 1878 and the stone was laid by the Lord of the Manor on 9 September 1876. Since local government changes in 1974, Drighlington has been in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, the village once formed part of the former Municipal Borough of Morley, and is still classed as part of Morley in the census. However, it is separate and is not governed by Morley Town Council. Since 2004, the village has had a parish council, the metropolitan district includes other towns and villages with their own clear identity, such as Morley and Otley, as well as the city of Leeds. Drighlington is in the Morley North ward, which three councillors to Leeds City Council. Until the 2010 general election Drighlington was in the Morley and Rothwell parliamentary constituency, Drighlington has a Bradford postcode of BD11 and the Royal Mail official address is Drighlington, Bradford, while the village telephone numbers are 0113, the Leeds prefix. The ecclesiastical parish of Drighlington was created in 1817, Drighlington was an urban district 1894-1937 and was part of Morley Municipal borough 1937-1974. Drighlington was part of the Bradford Registration district from 1837–1891 and North Bierley Registration district from 1892-1937, the village is at the junction of the A58 Leeds-Halifax road and the B6135 Tong to Gildersome Street road which used to be part of the A650 Bradford to Wakefield road. This junction is known as the Drighlington Crossroads, the A650 now bypasses Drighlington to the west of the village following part of the structure of what was the Bradford to Wakefield and London Great Northern Railway line. The village has a Scout Group, Rainbow pack and a championship level contesting brass band with youth band, there is also the Tempest Constitutional Club
29.
Askam and Ireleth
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Askam and Ireleth is a civil parish close to Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, in North West England. Historically part of Lancashire, it consisted of two separate coastal villages with different origins and histories which, in recent times, have merged to become one continuous settlement. The population of the parish taken at the 2011 Census was 3,632. Ireleth has its origins as a farming village clustered on the hillside overlooking the flat sands of the Duddon Estuary. Askam was established following the discovery of large quantities of ore near the village in the middle of the 18th century. Ireleth is the smaller and older of the two villages, with its origins stretching back to the Viking occupation of Britain and it was originally clustered along a stream, named Hole Beck, about half a mile up the hill from the estuary below. It was also the junction of four roads passing through the area, secondly, there was the lane heading north along a ridge towards Kirkby-in-Furness. Part of these two roads form todays A595 main road, there was also a road leading up the streams valley towards the hamlet of Marton, and finally a road east over the hills towards Dalton-in-Furness. Viking origins exist in two forms, remains have been found near St. Peters parish church and the name of the village itself is Viking, samuel Lewis A Topological Dictionary of England, written 1848, posits a different contender as the true Ireleth. He claimed Ouregrave referred to the village because of the existence of a mill named Orga-Mill, Lewis full text on Ireleth is below. During the Middle Ages, the area was controlled by the Cistercian monks of Furness Abbey. During this time, Ireleth was little more than one of many farming communities in Furness, the iron ore developments of Askam largely bypassed Ireleth, and the village developed slowly, housing farmers and workers from local towns. The religious history of the village is recorded as starting around the year 1608, when an endowment was created to fund a village school. Giles Brownrigg, named variously as a landowner or a tailor who had left the area to make his fortune in London, gave money to establish a school house. In this, it is said- Ireleth did not have a church at this point, falling into the Above Town area, together with the hamlets of Marton and Lindal. Lacking a place of worship, it was decided the newly built school could also be put to use as a chapel. Construction of a church began, with the money to build St. Peters coming from the new-found profits of iron ore mining, giving rise to the name the Iron Church. It was dedicated for use on St. Peters Day,29 June 1865, Askams history starts much more recently
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Dewsbury Celtic
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Dewsbury Celtic is a rugby league club in the town of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference and have a junior section. Dewsbury Celtic is one of the oldest Irish sports club in Yorkshire, the origins of Dewsbury Celtic can be directly linked to Ireland’s Great Famine of 1845. Official records show that in 1845200 Irish immigrants were living in Daw Green, by 1851 the number had risen to 1,000 working mainly as labourers and mill workers. Having started as Dewsbury Shamrocks in 1879 they switched in the late 1890s to football, at this point they joined what was then the Northern Union and changed their name to Dewsbury Celtic. They became one of the best local teams and won the Yorkshire County Amateur Cup in 1912-13 and this team was torn apart by the First World War, losing 15 players. They reformed in 1919 and then disbanded again in 1939 at the start of the Second World War, Celtic continued to win trophies on a regular basis, these included the Yorkshire Cup, Leeds League titles and George Oldroyd Trophy 13 times between 1953 and 1969. In 2006 they applied for National League Three, finishing in 5th place and qualifying for the play-offs, in 2007 National League Three was rebranded as the Rugby League Conference National Division and Celtic were one of six Yorkshire teams in the ten team league. They achieved their highest place to-date with a very good 4th place and they also competed in the Northern Rail Cup, finishing behind Bramley Buffaloes, who qualified for the knock-out stages
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